Introduction
Roger K. Leir (1934 – March 14, 2014) was an American podiatric surgeon and ufologist best known as an investigator of alien implants. Leir appeared frequently on television and talk radio programs devoted to ufology.
Claims
Leir said he had removed about a dozen implants from people's bodies and claimed they were devices that "emit radio signals." Leir alleged that implants had moved by themselves during surgery as if to avoid removal. Leir said that laboratory testing of the implants implied they were of extraterrestrial origin.
Criticism
Skeptical investigator Joe Nickell said that the alleged implants appeared to be ordinary objects such as shards of glass or fragments of metal that become lodged in arms, hands, legs and feet due to accidental falls or barefoot walking. Nickell said that Leir's associate, Derrel Sims, supposedly refused to cooperate when asked to provide a forensic medical institute with specimens or photos for analysis.
Death
Leir died on March 14, 2014.